With fall coming to a close and sports like football, soccer, cross country, and volleyball wrapping up, it’s time for the excitement of winter sports. Everyone has heard of our basketball, wrestling, and swimming programs, but were you aware that we had a ski racing team as well? With Portland located only hours away from Mt. Hood, it’s made the sport somewhat accessible for those interested. According to Eastside High Schools Ski Racing Head Coach Randy Hewitt; “high school [ski] racing in Oregon started over 60 years ago, making it the oldest, most successful high school ski racing program in America.” The ski team consists of competition in slalom and giant slalom skiing events.
Because ski racing is not affiliated with OSAA, and therefore is not part of the familiar leagues such as PIL, the recognition for the sport is low. This means that Portland Public Schools have combined, forming one team: Eastside High Schools Ski Racing Team. Currently the team is made up of Benson, Cleveland, Grant, and Franklin athletes, with Franklin first joining in 2017. Combining teams overall seems to be a positive as “students from various schools get to know and compete with each other,” says Hewitt. It also helps minimize the costs.
It’s no surprise that skiing is an expensive sport, and Hewitt expresses that “racers and their families know that they are committing big to participate in ski racing.” He then continues to say “lots of time, money, parent volunteer time, and equipment are involved.” With practices every Wednesday in January and February, and additional weekend day training, purchasing season passes is a must. On top of the expenses for a season pass, athletes are also expected to purchase gear. As members of the team advance, they are in need of racing skis and high performance boots along with sleek padded racing suits that allow racers to achieve a faster time. All athletes are required to have a helmet, as it is the most important part of safety gear. Transportation is another concern some athletes might have. Thankfully, their annual ski swap raises money in order to cover the cost for a bus to their Wednesday practices. On weekends it becomes tricky, with carpooling being their transportation of choice. Students needing financial assistance, the team will seek to help with a skiers payment, but there isn’t a specific program or plan.
Each week, stretching from January through the first week of March, the league hosts a race at one of the ski areas on Mt. Hood, where members from Eastside compete against teams from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland to other high schools in The Dalles. “Approximately 140 racers anxiously await their shot at two runs down the race course,” as Hewitt put it. When it comes to competing, each school’s racers participate solely for their school even though they are part of the Eastside umbrella. On race day, athletes are to arrive at the lodge by 8 a.m. and stay for the duration of the racing, which usually ends by 2:30 p.m. When athletes are not racing, they are on the hill preparing for their run and cheering for their teammates and other racers.
If you are interested in joining the team for next year, your first priority is to have the desire and availability to commit to the season. Hewitt also expresses the need to be at least an intermediate level skier. Although it has already started this year, next year in late September, informational meetings will be held at each school as a part of the Eastside group. At these meetings, important aspects of participation are discussed.
Even though it is too late to join the team this season, it’s not too late to show appreciation and support Franklin athletes up on the mountain. If students are interested in an opportunity to get to know people from other schools and gain a lifelong passion, the ski team could be a perfect fit. “The beautiful thing about ski team participation is that our athletes really get to know one another, forming meaningful high school friendships. While doing this, they also fall in love with skiing which propels them into doing their sport for a lifetime. Ski team participation is a super-rewarding high school activity,” Hewitt shares.
